Blog - Essential Oils

Essential Oils have been used safely and effectively throughout history for many various purposes. In recent times they have made a tremendous comeback due to their plethora of benefits and ease of use. We tested and researched a few of the best oils for improved sleep and here is what we discovered.

Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Insomnia affects millions of people and has many causes, but our restlessness is often due to our lack of ability to switch off our busy minds, the chronic stress we are under, constant anxiety or nervous tension and the like. We understand the importance of getting quality sleep and its benefits on our bodies. Our tissues and cells repair themselves, our hormones regulate, our immune systems recharge, all while we sleep. You can see how quickly things will fall out of balance without proper sleep. Yet, sometimes good sleep seems elusive and out of reach. How, you ask, can a few essential oils help? Here are a few of the oils we found that can make a huge difference in your sleep and are super easy to add to your busy daily life and bedtime routine.

Frankincense - Frankincense is useful for lowering levels of anxiety and helping your body deal with chronic stress that may be keeping you up at night. It has a calming and grounding aroma that can assist you falling asleep. It opens your breathing passage allowing more oxygen to your brain. Additionally, some say it decreases pain and inflammation which is responsible for keeping many people awake at night.

Roman Chamomile - Roman Chamomile (different and more effective for sleep ailments than regular chamomile) has calming, relaxing, soothing and sedative properties. It can ease stress, nervous tension and help alleviate insomnia. Makes an especially powerful remedy for sleeplessness when combined with lavender.

Lavender - Lavender is often associated with relaxation and inducing a calm peacefulness. It eases anxiety and can help with insomnia and better overall sleep. Studies have shown that people slept more soundly and woke up feeling more energized simply after smelling lavender essential oil before bed. Add a few drops to a bath before bed or make a luxurious linen spray to help ease you into slumber.

Sweet Marjoram - Sweet Marjoram opens nasal passages and may be beneficial in reducing snoring. It has sedative properties and helps induce sleep. Additionally it eases nervous tension, anxiety and stress. Place a few drops on your pillow or use topically on the back of your neck to drift you into dreamland. Do not use if pregnant.

There are many different ways to utilize essential oils and reap their benefits. One of the more simple ways is to invest in a diffuser and add a few drops of oil that will not only help you get the sleep improving benefits (or energizing, or immune boosting, or calming, or whatever the oil you are using is good for) but many oils are also anti-bacterial and anti-viral, so they will also clean your indoor air. Most oils can also be used topically, although it's often a good idea to dilute with a carrier oil like organic jojoba or coconut oil. Simply rub on the back of your neck or the bottoms of your feet. Most stores that carry essential oil also carry small jars with roller tops that make it easy to mix your oil and apply quickly.

Essential oils work differently on every body, so if you try one and it doesn't work like you hoped don't be discouraged. Have fun and experiment with various oils until you find the right oil or combination of oils that work best for you. There are a number of great essential oil blends recipes that can be found online. If you don't feel like mixing your own there are number of reputable brands that make their own sleep inducing blends, try Pharmaca, Aura Cacia, NOW Foods, Doterra or Young Living to names a few.

If simply adding a few great smelling oils can truly have a positive affect on our bodies and our sleep habits, what do we have to lose?